Its been awhile...

...but I think its time to get back to the guitar. Looks like I'm getting into playing gypsy jazz...

Rehearsal

Band practice tonight went OK. A bummer how I think I know the pentatonic scale stuff better than how I can actually put it into the stuff we're playing!

Pentatonic

Working on getting that blues scale learned on the whole fingerboard.

My Stratocaster

Going to fix thing up!

Thinking and Planning Out Loud

What to do to get better? Might have to put piano in second place. It was a great idea doing both, but just don't think I can do it. Focus on guitar....use the melodic solo book and take my time with it. But it'd be fun to do a blues book too. Decisions.

Piano and Guitar

These two don't have to be mutually exclusive in regards to learning. On the chord tone book, the author has a good discussion on how to practice. In timed little bits. No rushing. I can do this for both instruments, but it will take patience and commitment.

April 23, 2011

Stick to learning just from blues guitar books.....or.......the book that teaches leads in general? Hmmmm....

My lead guitar playing needs a boost, and it'd be nice to know more of what I'm doing when I take leads...

April 21, 2011

Worked a bit on major/minor patterns for the first three positions. Messing a bit with a different blues lead guitar book, too. Listening to Blues stuff for the band to possibly learn.

April 17, 2011

Wedding gig was yesterday. Sure was not impressed with how I did there...
But did get a cool new toy yesterday: the Boss BD2 Blues Driver.

The Minor Scale Patterns

Interesting how in learning the minor scale patterns they utilize the Same Exact Patterns as the major scale ones (!) but just use a different root!

"She's Leaving Home"

Copy and paste:

http://www.box.net/shared/a3tn5ve1md

Interesting

On a blog I belong to, someone suggested that I look into Robert Conti's stuff regarding improv, and it does look good.

Practicing for the acoustic wedding ceremony gig, and it is going well.

Of most interest, though, is the success I've had working out a solo acoustic version of the Beatles' "She's Leaving Home."

It sounds cool.

The Patterns

I think I just about got the five patterns learned (majors).

Gig

Played gig last night....wasn't happy wirh it. Guitar's pickups are quite powerful and thus distort easily! Gonna take some getting used to. Gig itself was not fun.

Going to work today on making a pedal board for my pedals from an old briefcase.

Christian Music

Was never into Contemporary Christian music, but was asked to play guitar with some singers and other musicians tonight. Went well. Was good for my soul, too. There was a great song they played on a CD or computer about how the singer trusts in God during the storms of living. They showed slides during the presentation and one that touched me was how God wants us to be joyous. Pretty cool how God not only lets me, but wants me back after I mess up so royally.

Blues Guitar . . . Inside and Out

Had the book for awhile, but just dived into it again today.
"Blues Guitar Inside and Out" by Richard Daniels.
Nice reading something like that which seems from the heart, in a world that sometimes seems full of folks with tiny hearts.

Learning how to remember the root notes in Patterns 1 through 4.

My First Gibson

After much internet shopping, I took the plunge yesterday and traded my American Strat. What I got was a 2007 Gold Les Paul Premium Studio. Now, back to practicing.

March 13, 2011

Yesterday I sent away for a tone control knob to work on tweaking the volume of my Hot Rod Deluxe. I'm quickly becoming a gadget fan for my guitar stuff. Today I added learning the fourth (of five) major scale positions.

"Me and You"

Took out the acoustic today, and here's a song I'll be playing soon at a wedding. This will be played as the wedding party enters...its Kenny Chesney's "Me and You."
http://www.box.net/shared/f8239qxo4n

Conquering the World

Played the Strat in rehearsal with band tonight and it was cool. Time to conquer the world with my guitar! Played "I Saw Her Standing There," "Twist and Shout," "Lay Down Sally," "After Midnight," "Spider and the Fly," "Kansas City," "Tequila (w/sax!)," "Sleepwalk (w/sax!)," "I'll Follow the Sun." First time I tried the new chorus pedal tonight, and I like it. It was definitely worth the money.

Looking forward to getting the acoustic out this weekend.

Blue Sunrise

"Blue Sunrise" made its debut last night at a local parish's Mardis Gras celebration. It was alright. We played two sets, and I sang some, too.

Some comments:
1) It would be nice to play somewhere and people would actually get into it, or at least applaud after a song! Didn't happen last night...
2) My strat behaved. For the most part. But I still need to get better used to the different tones available.
3) I continue to not be impressed with my Digital Delay pedal. Either I try to get better used to it, or it will be sold/traded.
4) My amp is heavy, and maybe too powerfully loud for my needs. Thinking of selling it and downsizing to a different amp thst doesn't weigh a ton. Would like a lighter tube amp, and it doesn't need to have too many effects other than reverb.

Time to get busy, and serious:
1) Its now Lent, so I'd like to use Lent as an opportunity to get back to walking daily and eating better.
2) Time to get serious about practicing for thr wedding gig that is quickly approaching.

Miscellaneous:
1) Received my Danelectro Chorus Pedal and Fast Fret yesterday!
2) Christian music gig is approaching, also.
3) Strat is at the shop getting a "set up" being paid mostly by the cash earned at the Mardi Gras gig
4) Another "country club gig" is also quickly approaching for the Blue Sunrise band. Will have a drummer there, and we'll need to learn more songs for that one.
5) Been listening to the Stones. Exile is great, Goats Head Soup isn't. Exile makes me want a telecaster!

Gig Time

Playing a Mardi Gras tonight...looking forward to it.
Went to guitar store last night. Found out my guitar needs a set up. $50...not looking forward to it.

Cruisin'

Missed Mass today, and I ain't too proud about that...

The Strat is still acting up. I guess I'll just have to "bite the bullet" and take it to get set up. Frustrating.

Had a short but pretty prodictive practice session today... just about done with the 3rd major scale position, and still learning new chords from the Baker book.

Still tempted to trade for a Les Paul Double-Cutaway, and I got some feelers out there for that. It'd be nice if I could just play one of them to get it out of my system.

Lent is right around the corner, and our "Blue Sunrise" band is playing a Fat Tuesday gig at a local Catholic Church.

Oh yea, i also sent away for a Danelectro FAB Chorus pedal and Fast Fret to help the squeekiness on my acoustic's neck.

Some People . . .

. . . just really seem to express beautiful things with their music.... I saw a guy playing a Les Paul Custom Special on youtube and it was just so nice.....another guy on youtube played the guitar and just seemed to be just expressing so much beauty and hearfelt love of the music...and so original, too....

The Beat Goes On

Learning, practicing, yada, yada, yada.
Put some feelers out there to sell my strat or trade for a Les Paul, but I don't think I'll do it. Just love the strat tones too much.

No one said it was going to be easy

My strat is acting up...the third string sounds somewhat weird, the tremolo was acting weird. Trying to get that rectified is a drag. Tempted to get a guitar that may be seem to be less high maintenace... Those first two patterns fought me tonight...finding it difficult to remember them, and I'm getting ahead of myself wondering how I'll remember all the other patterns and things that are to be remembered and/or memorized or at least internalized. Practiced tonight with the band, and it looks like we have a name: "Blue Sunrise."

More Hendrix

Listening to more of Jimi, and appreciating his art more... Listening to Axis: Bold as Love.
Getting more knowledge of practicing, etc., as I'm reading more of the Chord Tone Soloing Book.

Appreciate how artists like Hendrix and Thelonious Monk seemed to be more concerned about their art than what others thought of that art...This can connect with Christianity in that there is a verse which says something like 'blessed are you when they ridicule you because of me (my paraphrase).'

Be yourself with your art, don't be afraid of standing up for your art, and your Christian beliefs, and your Roman Catholic beliefs, and ypur belief in Jesus Christ. Don't be afraid of being yourself when you know what you are is true in Jesus.

These days its not considered cool to be a fervent believer in Jesus, and if you talk about it, you are seen as a weirdo...

But let your freak flag fly.....

Hendrix

Never really got into Hendrix.....until today. Listening to Electric Ladyland....
Voodoo Child just blows me away. It is a spritual song to me .... Talks to me about the sheer power and strength of just being myself ... Must listen to more Hendrix....

Worked a bit more about the second major pattern today, and learned some more chords in the Baker book.

Cool Guitar Day

Used a Lead Guitar Method book, but had great results for unintended reasons....this book has some chord progressions on the CD, and, to make a long story short, I realized some interesring things about scales. The major scales sound great over songs in major keys, but do not sound that great in bluesey chord changes. Working on major pattern number 2, and learned more chords from the Baker book.

It will be great practice to play leads to the backing CD tracks on the Lead Guitar book.

Went to Mass today....interesting Scripture readings that seemed to focus on trusting God. Wish I had more faith, and I wish I could live my faith better.

Gave my son his first guitar lesson from his dad tonight!

I'm not impressed . . .

...with my guitar playing tonight.

Practiced playing in our trio, and my lead playing sure leaves a lot to be desired. And my strat needs a set-up. I thought it'd be OK to play the major chord scale when playing a progression in that key, but it sure didn't sound that great. I think its time to dive into the lead guitar book.....

A frustrating experience when it came to my playing tonight, although it was fun playing the songs.

electric work vs acoustic soul

Decided to not uee the scale book (at least not at this point) because I think the Fretbook Workbook is more comprehensive (when discussing the major scale, at least). Worked today on memorizing the major scale pattern based on the first pattern. Worked also on adding some new chord stuff from the Baker book. Used the electric for this stuff. Hooked up my digital delay, and wassn't impressed. Tempted to try to trade the digital delay for a flanger, but we'll see...

Picked up the acoustic and found out I missed it! Has a fleeting thought of getting rid of the electric with its companion amp and getting a quality acoustic and focusing just on acoustic. Ha. For now, I think my soul needs for me to work more on acoustic stuff. So I reinstated the Fingerstyle book in my learning.

Decided also that instead of shelling out the cash to pay a teacher to teach my son the guitar, I'll do it! It might help our relationship, too.

practice, practice, practice

GUITAR PRACTICE
Up to chapter 5 of the fretboard book / learning chords in the Baker book / learned one major chord shape.... It was enjoyable, but too fatigued to do more.

CHRISTIAN PRACTICE
Hard to put Christianity into daily practice....the idealism felt in night during reading diminishes during life in the front lines the next day . . .

The Learning Plan

Got my American Stratocaster last week and I'm ready to roll. Here's my current learning plan, using the "Musician's Practice Planner" (a kind of notebook which lists weekly goals on on the left side of the notebook and a sheet on the right side on which I'll list what was specifically practiced each day). See the column on the right side of this page to see the exact titles of the books I'm using. Here's this week's goals:

1) Scale Book: learn the 5 major scale patterns on p 6.
2) Baker Book: learn the chords on p.5.
3) Chord Tone Book: learn up to p.15.
4) Prepare for Wedding gig by learning the Canon
OTHER: Consider working on reading blues method book for fun / work on fretbook book

I've been reading the Bonhoeffer book, and I'm enjoying it. Challenging to live a faith fulled life...

Valentine's Eve, 2011

Been looking around to trade in my Ibanez for a Fender American Strat. I think that would suit me more than the Ibanez. Have one I might trade for from a guy online, but the one that mostly has my interest is from a guy I hopefully will be meeting on Thursday.

From a spiritual point of view, I've been reading "The Lamb's Supper" by Scott Hahn, and its really helping me understand the Mass.

A Lot to Learn...

Been working on memorizing some chords in the Mickey Baker book....on p.12 of the finger picking book. Looks like I'll be playing some solo fingerpicking stuff in a wedding soon. Still looking for the Method of Methods that teaches lead guitar; for now, trying to stay with the chord tone soloing book. Theres a lot to learn. Also working on the Learning the Fretboard book.

"Canyon Canon"

Here's my first recording here, shakey as it may be!  Its from the Mark Hanson book, and its called "Canyon Canon."  Here it is:
Canyon Canon (Link)

Taking the Leap

Last night, I practiced with our trio, and it was fun doing "Memphis." Today, it will be time to take the leap and start the new Fingerpicking book....stay tuned for an addendum....Been liking Chet Atkins recently!
Addendum
Ok, so what if I put a dang mark on the guitar changing strings. And so what if changing the strings was a pain. The guitar just sounds beautuful. Worked on the Fingerpicking Book, and it was fun. A couple more parts, and I'll be done the first song.

So Much!

Got my Takamine yesterday! Nice! It has a beautiful reminder of me of my very first guitar I had as a kid....

But there is SO MUCH to learn! I'll rehearse tonight with our trio, and that should be fun. Getting ready to play a Mardi Gras gig.

Spirituality

There's perhaps two ways of looking at this that may not be mutually exclusive. Zen guitar may say that I am to put my whole heart and soul into playing everything on order to celebrate the spirit of my soul and heart. And to play in harmony with others with courage, persistance, and selflessness.

Christianity may say that the whole purpose of living is to glorify Jesus. To die to self and to live for Him.

Again, perhaps they aren't mutually exclusive.... Perhaps one can accept first of all that the purpose of life is to glorify Jesus. Perhaps I can put my whole heart and soul into glorifying Him, and thus my music can be an extension of glorifying Him. Even in play with others I can focus on the others. Frustration in learning associated with the ego of the internal criric can be replaced with compassion, selflessness, and courage.

Its not about me, but its about the music. And the music is about the glory of God.

Post 2

I have an Ibanez Artcore AS103. Tomorrow I should be getting a Takamine GS330S in the mail... So many thongs to learn and do with the guitar...I'm currently in a band with a bassist/sax player and another guitarist/mandolin player....I'd love to do some Django stuff with them..currently we play some jazz, pop, and blues. I'd also love to learn fingerpicking and how to read music better...(in more than just the first position). Currently I have a lot of learning material that I can go through: a book on learning lead, a jazz book, a fingerpicking book, and I'm soon to receive a gypsy jazz book. Stay posted.

January 30, 2011

Here's post number one...
This blog will be all about my development as a guitar player, with added thoughts about music in general and guitar music in particular....More to follow.....